Mitsui & Co sees steady cash flow but profit dips amid commodity headwinds

Japanese trading giant Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (TSE: 8031) reported for the first half of its fiscal year ending March 2026 that although core operating cash flow rose to ¥216.3 billion, base profit slipped to ¥191.6 billion, down from the same period last year. The firm highlighted a JPY10 billion uptick in base profit, thanks mainly to its chemicals segment, LNG‑related businesses and innovation & corporate development arms. Yet declines in iron‑ore and metallurgical‑coal prices knocked JPY15 billion off the year‑on‑year result, with foreign‑exchange and commodity costs dragging another JPY20 billion. On the balance sheet front, Mitsui’s net interest‑bearing debt edged up to ¥3.4 trillion, while shareholder equity rose to ¥7.6 trillion, yielding a net D/E ratio of 0.45x. The company reiterated that it remains on track with its medium‑term plan, though it flagged that renewables and coal‑related resource operations still carry heightened risk and require further turnaround efforts. #Mitsui #EarningsCall #CommodityMarkets #CorporateStrategy #SlimScan #GrowthStocks #CANSLIM